Fastener means for loose leaf holders

ABSTRACT

A FASTENER MEANS FOR TEMPORARILY INSERTING INDIVIDUAL LEAVES INTO A LOOSE LEAF HOLDER. THE MEANS COMPRISES (1) A LEAF OR INSERT HAVING ATTACHED THERETO AN INSERT GRIPPING MEANS ALONG AT LEAST A PORTION OF ONE EDGE, (2) AN ATTACHMENT PIN IN THE SHAPE OF A T ANCHORED BY ITS CROSSBAR IN THE FREE END OF THE INSERT MEANS AND WITH ITS CENTRAL SHAFT EXTENDING OUT FROM THE INSERT MEANS, (3) A BACKING MEANS ADAPTED TO PERMIT PENETRATION OF ITS RESILIENT SURFACE BY THE CENTRAL SHAFT OF THE T-SHAPED ATTACHMENT PIN. THE CENTRAL SHAFT OF THE ATTACHMENT PIN MAY BE ANGULARLY DISTORTED TO ENABLE IT TO BE MORE FIRMLY RETAINED WITHIN THE GRASP OF THE RESILIENT SURFACE WHICH IT PENETRATES. THE FASTENER MEANS BINDS THE LEAF INTO A HOLDER FORMED BY THE JOINDER OF THE FRONT AND BACK RECTANGULAR COVERS WITH THE BACKING MEANS. THE BACKING MEANS MAY BE COVERED ON ITS INTERIOR FACE WITH A FREE WIRE MESH SCREEN TO ASSIST IN THE FIXATION OF THE ATTACHMENT PINS TO THE BACKING MEANS.

March 16, 1971 D. L. WARDELL 3,570,071

' FASTENER MEANS FOR LDOSE LEAF HOLDERS filed Jan. 1?, 19'69 INVENTOR.'IGHT L. WARDELL A TTORNEV United States Patent Once 3,570,071 PatentedMar. 16, 1971 Int. 'Cl. B42f 1/00 US. C]. 24-67 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A fastener means for temporarily inserting individual leavesinto a loose leaf holder. The means comprises 1) a leaf or insert havingattached thereto an insert gripping means along at least a portion ofone edge, (2) an attachment pin in the shape of a T anchored by itscrossbar in the free end of the insert means and with its central shaftextending out from the insert means, (3) a backrng means adapted topermit penetration of its resilrent surface by the central shaft of theT-shaped attachment pm. The central shaft of the attachment pin may beangularly distorted to enable it to be more firmly retained withln thegrasp of the resilient surface which it penetrates. The fastener meansbinds the leaf into a holder formed by the joinder of the front and backrectangular covers with the backing means. The backing means may becovered on its interior face with a fine wire mesh screen to assist inthe fixation of the attachment pins to the backing means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are several different forms of looseleaf holders presently on the market, but the use of all of theseinvolves the infliction of some physical injury to the charts, musicalsheets or other inserted matter removably bound therein. In the mostcommonly employed type of loose leaf holder, several holes are punchedin the inserted sheet to enable the metal jaws of the ring-type fastenerto pass through and retain the sheet therein. With this type of fastenermeans, however, frequent usage of the holder will cause the loose leavesor sheets to rip or tear between the edge of the sheet and the holethrough which the ring passes. In still other instances, repeatedopening and closing of the jaws of the ring binder will catch a portionof the sheet between the jaws and rip or tear it. 4

Ultimately, this damage can result in the loss of individual sheetsentirely as well as damage if the tear is detected and repaired in time.In the case of photo prints, for example, such repair of the insertitself will result in at least a partial loss of the detail of the printat the point where the reinforcement is pasted over the damaged sheet.Moreover, with the use of the conventional ring-type binder devices,each of these require holes in the matter inserted to maintainconnection between the holder and the inserted matter. But the normalone, two or three hole punch will not punch holes in metal sheets orplates of felt or heavy fiber-type material or Wood grain samples.Consequently, the fastening of these inserts into a replaceable holderrequires special drilling of such holes if present binder devices are tobe utilized. Finally, the use of metal ring-type binders demands thatthe holes must be made in the insert sheets at a predetermined spot onthe insert so as to exactly match up with the position of the jaws ofthe metal ring clamps. If this is not done with accuracy, the insert iseither wrinkled or a second hole must be punched or drilled in theinsert resulting in further loss of copy.

A need, therefore, exists for a means of quickly and easily insertingloose leaf elements into a holder without the need for folding,stapling, punching or otherwise altering the inserted sheet. Thisfastener means must be such that individual insert sheets can be addedor removed from the holder without disruption or disturbance of adjacentleaf members which are also mounted in the holder. Furthermore, suchfastener means must be inexpensive and free of complicated locking andopening mechanisms yet sufficiently firm in its attachment to holdremovable inserts of varying weight, size and material.

It is an object of the present invention to present to the art animproved fastener means which meets all of these criteria and at thesame time avoids all of the deficiencies enumerated above and found indevices of the prior art. These and other objects of the invention willbecome clear from a review of the following descriptive specificationand several drawings which illustrate the various aspects and preferredembodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present inventionpertains to an improved fastener for attachment of removable inserts,photos, pages, charts and the like without folding, tearing or punchingholes therein. The fastener is designed and constructed so as toeliminate a locking or binding ring mechanism which frequently requiresa disturbance of other inserts in the common binder ring to remove asingle insert from the ring binder. This of course reduces the timerequired to pull out a single item as well as reducing the chances ofloss of individual items from the binder by ripping or tearing of theinsert at the point of attachment to the ring.

The fastener essentially comprises the following parts which will bemore specifically pointed out and described in the several figures ofdrawing. First of all, the fastener of my invention requires an insertgripping means attached at one or more points along a leading edge ofthe insert. This gripping means can take more than one form ofattachment to the insert. A preferred mode of such attachment is bymeans of a metal or plastic clip into which the insert slides so as tobe frictionally engaged by both arms of the clip. These clips arenormally one-half to one inch long (each arm) and from about one-quarterto one-half inch wide. A second or alternate form of this insertgripping means is a fold over pad of a material known commercially asVelcro. This pad which is about 1 inch by 2 inches is adhesively engagedwith the insert along its edge by attachment of approximately one-halfof the pad to the insert. The other half of the pad is folded over backon the first half and the two segments are removably locked together.This locking is achieved by commingling of a series of fibrous loops onthe face of onehalf the pad with a series of fibrous hooks on the otherhalf of the pad. At the fold of the pad, there is positioned a T-shapedattachment pin which has its crossbar buried along the line of the foldbetween the two halves of the pad and its long shaft piercing the foldand extending out therefrom. In the case of the metal or plastic clipform of insert gripper, the T-shaped attachment pin may be eitherembedded into the clip or punched through the fold if the clip isplastic. In any event, the final attachment element formed has one enddesigned to firmly grip the individual insert, the other end availablefor connection with a receptacle or backing. Noticeably both ends of thedevice are freely removable and attachable at the will of the user.

An important aspect of the fastener means of the present invention isthe simple yet efficient manner of use of the central shaft of theT-shaped attachment pin. This shaft is double bent in a serpentine shapeto enable it to penetrate the resilient body of a backing means ormember and once having penetrated therein to remain securely aflixedthereto. The backing means most preferred in general use is one or moreblocks or elements of a resilient material such as sponge rubber or corkwhich is held within a three-sided housing which is itself joined to thefront, back and connecting panels of a loose leaf binder. Over thesurface of the backing which is penetrated is disposed a thin wire meshscreen with a mesh size sufficient to permit entry and exit of thecentral shaft of the T- shaped attachment pin. In actual operation, thisscreen exerts a lateral restraining force upon the upper portion of theshaft at a time when the distal end of the shaft is buried within theresilient element. This lateral force maintains the long axis of theattachment pin at a substantial right angle to the surface of theresilient block and enables the serpentine oriented distal end of theshaft to remain hooked into the mass of sponge rubber until asubstantial pressure is introduced to induce the withdrawal of theattachment pin.

Further aspects related to the manufacture and use of the improvedfastener of this invention will become clear upon the consideration ofthe several drawings set forth in the following description of theinvention as pointed out in the following FIGS. 1 through of thedrawings to Wit:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved attachment means as itwould be employed in a loose leaf holder for photos. The outer page ofthe photo insert 17 illustrates the type of attachment arrangement whichwould be typical for each of the hundreds of insert items collected andfastened in the holder.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 showing theinsertion of the attachment pin into the resilient receptacle of thebacking.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2showing the detail of the fastener of the invention as applied to thepreferred embodiment of the invention wherein the insert gripping meansis a clip which is frictionally attached to the photo insert.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the insert gripping means,namely, attachment clip 18 as described in cross section in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an alternate gripping meansemploying the pad of Velcro material in place of the clip-typeattachment.

In the drawing is the central panel of the binder cover. This panelaffords the base for affixing the resilient backing means 14 which meansis held within a metal or hard plastic channel 13. The central panel isfoldably attached to both a front panel 11 and a back panel 12 tocomprise the entire binder cover. These panels may be made of rigidplastic sheet, cardboard or other suitable material. The metal channel13 is generally glued back to back with the central panel of the binder.Placed within the channel in a position opposite the attachment membersare two or more resilient attachment pin receptacles 14. These may befirmly textured sponge rubber blocks about /2 inch thick and about 2inches wide. Over the surface of these receptacles is spread a fine meshwire screen which is compressed between the vertical wall of the channel13 and the receptacle 14 so as to form a lip or anchor 28 which implantsitself in the rubber receptacle and holds the screen in firm position.This rubber attachment receptacle may extend the entire length of thechannel if desired although it is preferably glued firmly into positionin a series of blocks or quadrants. In addition to the fine mesh wirescreen a thin layer of polyethylene or polypropylene may if desired beinterposed between the resilient receptacle 14 and the fine mesh wirescreen 15. This arrangement would be in the nature of a sandwich withthe plastic sheet becoming the middle element therein. The fine meshwire screen 15 is firmly secured over the top and anchored at 28 alongthe side of the block by pressing the edges of the screen into the sidesof the block.

When it is desired to mount a loose leaf or insert 17 in the bindercover I prefer to employ attachment pins which have a crossbar head 20and a shaft portion 21. The shaft portion has a serpentine bend 19 whichupon insertion of the attachment pin through the aperture of the wiremesh screen in a twisting motion embeds the tip and the portion of theshaft having the serpentine bend into the resilient sponge rubberreceptacle 14 while the upright section of the shaft portion 21 of theattachment pin remains in contact with the wire mesh screen 15 so as tobe held from lateral movement which would tend to loosen it from itsbase. Hence while the crossbar head 20 of the attachment pin anchors theinsert clip 18 or other insert gripping means to the attachment pin theremaining portion of the attachment pin ties this assembly into aconnection with the resilient attachment pin receptacle 14.

Two alternate embodiments of the invention are described in the variousfigures of the drawing. For example, in FIG. 3 an insert gripping means16 is shown which employs a clip 18 into which the insert is slidbetween two jaws which compress lightly the insert 17 therebetween tohold by frictional attachment the insert therein. This clip preferablyis covered with a heavy tape 27 which also covers the crossbar head 20of the attachment pin with the shaft portion 21 of the attachment pinpassing through the tape so as to be free for insertion in the resilientattachment pin receptacle 14. Within this tape the crossbar head isfreely movable an arc of about 240 degrees to permit the leaves orinserts held within the jaws of the attachment clip 18 to be quitecapable of free lateral movement within the loose leaf binder while theanchoring shaft of the attachment pin 21 remains rigid and devoid ofsuch lateral movement.

A second embodiment of the invention which employs a variant means ofconnection of the insert 17 to the crossbar head 20 of the attachmentpin is illustrated in FIG. 5. In this device the insert has adhesivelyattached thereto at one or more points along its leading edge a strip ofwhat is commercially known as Velcro fastener. This adhesive layer 22 islocated on the back of one-half of a strip of Velcro. On its oppositeface this strip has a fibrous loop segment 23 on one-half divided fromthe other half of the face by a fold which constitutes a recess 25 forthe crossbar head 20 of the attachment pin when the Velcro strip isfolded over itself. On the second half of the face of the strip islocated a series of fibrous hooks 24. When the crossbar head 20 islodged in the fold recess and its shaft 21 punched through the Velcrostrip is folded over itself to engage the hooks segment 24 with theloops segment 23 and firmly anchor the crossbar head 20 between the twosegments while permitting its shaft portion 21 to be free for furtherattachment. The crossbar head is in thi form also pivotally free to movelaterally at least degrees.

Regardless of which of the above means are employed to connect theinsert 17 with the attachment pin head 20 the loose leaf sheets or otherinsert items are mounted in the loose leaf holder by pressing the shaftportion 21 of the attachment pin through the openings of the screen 15so as to penetrate a depth of about one-half inch into the firmlytextured sponge rubber blocks. The dual wing tips 26 which are found onthe tip of the attachment pin contribute to arrest of rotational motionof the attachment pin shaft once it is implanted. When it is desired tosubsitute or remove a particular chart, card or other insert forreplacement in the holder one can either slip the insert from betweenthe jaws of the clip 18 or else pull the attachment pin shaft 21 out ofthe resilient receptacle 14 leaving the insert in the grip of the clipmember. Much the same is true for the Velcro-type attachment except thatthe only means of separation of the insert from the binder is to pullthe attachment pin out of the resilient receptacle.

It can be seen from the description of the invention that the variousarticles inserted in the loose leaf holder will be bound in that holderto a degree sufficient to prevent accidental dislodgement of thecontents from the holder. However, at the same time the attachment ortransposition of the inserts within the holder is sufiicientlycontrollable that in a few seconds time any items mounted therein can bereoriented with ease without damage or distortion of the physical makeupof the item.

While the foregoing description of my invention sets forth the conceptthereof along with several preferred embodiments it is of courserecognized that several modifications can be made within the broad scopeof the inventive concept and it is my intention to include suchmodifications within my present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener means for temporarily inserting individual leaves into aloose leaf holder which comprises:

(a) a leaf or insert member having attached thereto an insert grippingmeans extending along at least a portion of one edge of said member;

(b) a T-shaped attachment pin anchored by its crossbar in the insertgripping means, with its central shaft extending out and away from thesaid means, said shaft of said attachment pin having an angulardistortion therin to enable it to be retained within the grasp of aresilient surface which it contacts;

(0) a backing member comprising a resilient penetrable element ofsufiicient depth to substantially surround and bury the angularlydistorted shaft of the said attachment pin;

((1) a -fine wire mesh screen extending across substantially the entiresurface of the said resilient element which faces the edge of the insertto lock the penetrating central shaft of the attachment pin from lateralmovement while inserted in the said resilient element; and

(e) a channel for retaining said backing member in position such thatthe resilient element is surrounded on three sides by the fine wire meshscreen and held in compressive relation to one another within thevertical walls of the channel, and the exterior of the base wall of thechannel being adhesively attached to the central panel of a loose leafholder.

2. A fastener means according to claim 1 wherein the insert grippingmeans comprises a flat clip which is frictionally engaged with the edgeof the insert member.

3. A fastener means according to claim 1 wherein the insert grippingmeans comprises a flat sheet adhesively attached on its inner surface tothe insert member and on its opposite face having a series of loops of afibrous material on one half of the sheet, and a series of hooks of afibrous material on the other half of the sheet, with the first halffolded over the second half, a T-shaped attachment pin anchored by itscrossbar in the fold with its central shaft penetrating the sheet andextending out and away from said means.

4. A fastener means according to claim 1 wherein said angular distortionof said shaft is in the form of a double bend away from and returning tothe long axis of the central shaft both bends being at an angle of fromabout to degrees from a line drawn along the long axis of the centralshaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,999,633 4/1935 Greenhood2467(A) 2,510,263 6/1950 Stein 2467(A)X 3,118,689 1/1964 Jones 2467(A)XSTANLEY GI-LREATH, Primary Examiner

